Not able to change TextField Border Color

The TextField widget in Flutter is a basic text input field that can be used in various scenarios. However, one common issue many developers face while working with this widget is its inability to change the border color. In this blog post, we will explore why you might not be able to change the TextField‘s border color and how to control it using different properties.

The Problem

You have a TextField in your Flutter application and want to change its border color. However, no matter what you do, the border remains the same. This can be frustrating as the default border might not match the design of your app.

The Solution

To control the border color of a TextField, you need to use the properties provided by the InputDecoration class. These properties are:

1. disabledBorder: This property is used when the enabled state of the TextField is set to false.
2. enabledBorder: This property is used when the enabled state of the TextField is true. By default, this is always true for a TextField.
3. errorBorder: This property is used when there is some error with the input (i.e., a failed validation).
4. focusedBorder: This property is used when we click or focus on the TextField.
5. focusedErrorBorder: This property is used when there is an error and we are currently focused on that TextField.

You can use any of these properties to change the border color. The code snippet below shows how you can use them:

TextField(
  enabled: false, // to trigger disabledBorder
  decoration: InputDecoration(
    filled: true,
    fillColor: Color(0xFFF2F2F2),
    focusedBorder: OutlineInputBorder(
      borderRadius: BorderRadius.all(Radius.circular(4)),
      borderSide: BorderSide(width: 1,color: Colors.red),
    ),
    disabledBorder: OutlineInputBorder(
      borderRadius: BorderRadius.all(Radius.circular(4)),
      borderSide: BorderSide(width: 1,color: Colors.orange),
    ),
    enabledBorder: OutlineInputBorder(
      borderRadius: BorderRadius.all(Radius.circular(4)),
      borderSide: BorderSide(width: 1,color: Colors.green),
    ),
    border: OutlineInputBorder(
      borderRadius: BorderRadius.all(Radius.circular(4)),
      borderSide: BorderSide(width: 1,)
    ),
    errorBorder: OutlineInputBorder(
      borderRadius: BorderRadius.all(Radius.circular(4)),
      borderSide: BorderSide(width: 1,color: Colors.black)
    ),
    focusedErrorBorder: OutlineInputBorder(
      borderRadius: BorderRadius.all(Radius.circular(4)),
      borderSide: BorderSide(width: 1,color: Colors.yellowAccent)
    ),
    hintText: "HintText",
    hintStyle: TextStyle(fontSize: 16,color: Color(0xFFB3B1B1)),
    errorText: snapshot.error,
  ),
  controller: _passwordController,
  onChanged: _authenticationFormBloc.onPasswordChanged,
  obscureText: false,
)Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

In this code, we have used all the border properties to set different colors for various states of the TextField. The focusedBorder, focusedErrorBorder, and other similar properties are self-explanatory.

Conclusion

The problem of not being able to change the border color of a TextField in Flutter is more like an ignorance than a technical issue. Once you understand how to use the different border properties provided by the InputDecoration class, it becomes easy to control the border colors of your TextField.